The Legal 500

E/LHS Acquisition GmbH, a subsidiary of Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, has completed the squeeze-out of minority shareholders of LHS Aktiengesellschaft.

Swiss Prime Site AG (the "Issuer") successfully raised financing through a placement of CHF 300 Million 1.875% Convertible Bonds (the "Bonds"), convertible into shares of the Issuer. The Bonds were priced with a coupon of 1.875% and a conversion premium of 22.5% to the volume weighted average price on the day of launch. Credit Suisse and UBS Investment Bank acted as joint bookrunners in this transaction (the "Joint Bookrunners"). The Joint Bookrunners have exercised their overallotment option in full, increasing the total issue size of the Bonds to CHF 300 Million.

Ogier has advised INEOS, Britain’s largest privately-owned company (approx. GBP 9bn), in relation to the successful restructuring of one of its debt facilities. Ogier also provides corporate services to various INEOS group entities.

Ogier has advised large Jersey business CPA Global on the disposal by its shareholders of a significant minority stake to Intermediate Capital Group (“ICG”) and their funds under management who will be investing in CPA Global alongside its management team.

Ogier, one of the leading providers of offshore legal and fiduciary services, has acted as Jersey and Guernsey counsel to Four Seasons Healthcare in relation to the successful restructuring of its £1.5 billion debt facilities. Ogier also provides associated professional director and fiduciary services to the group.

Ogier has acted as BVI counsel to Nobel Oil, a Russian oil and gas company, on its joint venture with China Investment Corporation. This joint venture is understood to be the first Russian-Chinese joint venture in the Russian oil and gas industry.

Ogier continues to earn accolades for its legal services having just picked up two more awards. This time, the Ogier BVI and Guernsey offices have been voted as the best law firms in their jurisdictions at the Fund Domiciles.com, Service Provider Awards. This is the first time either of these offices has been singled out as the leading firms in their respective jurisdictions and is recognition of the prominent position we have established in both the BVI and Guernsey legal markets. We now have considerable strength in depth in both these offices and it is a testament to the quality of the teams we have in place there that has earned us these latest endorsements.

Ogier, one of the leading providers of offshore legal, trust and administration services, has appointed eight new partners across its network of offices.

We are pleased to announce the election of three new partners and shareholders in Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC with effect from 1 January 2010

Ogier, one of the leading offshore legal and fiduciary firms, has announced plans to offer Guernsey and Jersey services in Asia. In May, Guernsey and Jersey lawyers will be relocating to the firm’s Hong Kong office, where the firm has an established BVI and Cayman legal practice. This latest move comes in response to increased client demand for Channel Islands legal and fiduciary services in the Asian time zone. This is yet another first for Ogier as it will be the first time that Guernsey and Jersey lawyers will operate in this region.

Hassans is delighted to announce that three associates (pictured from left to right, Lizanne Noguera, Grahame Jackson and Joelle Hernandez) were called to the Gibraltar Bar/ Admitted to the Role of Solicitors last week.

Mourant du Feu & Jeune and Ozannes, two of the leading law firms in the Channel Islands, have announced their intention to merge.

AudioNova International - the hearing aid retail subsidiary of the Dutch investment company HAL Investments - and shareholders of GEERS Hörakustik have reached an agreement in principle on the acquisition by AudioNova of a 75% stake in GEERS, the Dortmund-based hearing aid retailer.

Paris, le 3 février 2010. Le cabinet Sarrau Thomas Couderc a conseillé Air Liquide, 1er acteur européen des soins à domicile, dans le cadre de l’acquisition de la société DinnoSanté entreprise spécialisée dans les prestations médico-techniques pour le diabète.

Bucharest, January 21st - Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen (NNDKP) provided assistance to Ford with respect to the negotiation and conclusion of the guarantee agreement and of the movable and immovable security agreements for the purpose of securing a EUR 320 million guarantee from the Romanian state.

Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen lays the foundation for a permanent collaboration with Casa de Insolventa Transilvania

AFR Advocates has appointed two new partners, Advocates Sara Mallett and Simon Geall

Gärde Wesslau did represent Allocate Software plc. when it entered the Nordic market through acquisition of Time Care AB.

During its twenty years of existence, the firm’s consolidated revenues increased from 100,000 USD in 1990 to 16,000,000 EUR in 2009

Eurohypo has restructured the real estate loan securitised through Opera German No. 2. The loan is secured on four German shopping centre. One of the first restructurings of a large European CMBS transaction has thus been successfully concluded.

Earth Capital Partners has launched a new €750m environmental fund primarily investing in renewable energy projects such as solar and biomass-to-energy initiatives in key European countries.

International Law Firm INTEGRITES founded a new unit – the Department of Business Development which is unique for professional legal services’ market in Ukraine and the CIS. Its primary purpose is to ensure high competitiveness of the Company in traditional and new markets, expand the range of corporate products and services and their effective promotion, and ensure the Company’s leading positions in the CIS and Baltic countries.

On the 28^th of October 2009 an international law firm «INTEGRITES» had completed a comprehensive due diligence project of contact agreements for Hochland affiliate in Ukraine that is the first stage of the regular legal support.

International law firm INTEGRITES has acted as a legal advisor for OTP Bank regarding international naval law, particularly on bank’s legitimate claims settlement procedure as a mortgage holder at the cost of the pledge.

November 30^th, 2009. Kyiv. Oleksandr Aleksyeyenko became a partner of INTEGRITES International Law Firm, one of the leading law firms in Ukraine and the CIS region. Mr. Aleksyeyenko will head Banking & Finance practice.

On January 18, 2010 Tyco International announced plans to purchase Broadview Security for $2 billion in a cash and stock deal.

Noted private equity player John Moulton’s latest venture, Better Capital, has floated on the junior market at the London Stock Exchange

Bucharest, January 21st - Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen (NNDKP) provided assistance to Ford with respect to the negotiation and conclusion of the guarantee agreement and of the movable and immovable security agreements for the purpose of securing a EUR 320 million guarantee from the Romanian state.

Bucharest, January 21st - Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen (NNDKP) provided

assistance to Ford with respect to the negotiation and conclusion of the guarantee agreement and

of the movable and immovable security agreements for the purpose of securing a EUR 320

million guarantee from the Romanian state.

Having previously picked up the “Best Law Firm in Romania for IP legal work 2009”, Vilau & Mitel won another accolade: the ‘Best Law Firm in Romania for Dispute Resolution legal work 2009’ at Corporate INTL Legal Awards 2009.

Law firm Mourant du Feu & Jeune has promoted two Jersey Advocates, Mathew Cook and Craig Swart, to the position of senior associate.

Patrikios Pavlou & Co announces the promotion of Lia Iordanou Theodoulou, Ioanna Nicolaou, Ioanna Demetriou and Dr. Pavlos Neofytou Kourtellos to full partners in January 2010 in respect to their contribution, professional work and dedication to the law firm. Congratulations!

Lawyers Carolina Meireles, Rita Albuquerque and Jorge Bastos Leitão strengthen PLMJ’s corporate and M&A area under the leadership of partners Vitor Réfega Fernandes and Manuel Santos Vitor.

Vienna. The Vienna business law firm Fellner Wratzfeld & Partner Rechtsanwälte GmbH (fwp) provided legal counsel in connection with the sale of Constantia Privatbank AG. After comprehensive restructuring and extensive negotiations, the bank was sold to a consortium involving E. F. Grossnigg Finanzberatung und Treuhandgesellschaft m.b.H.  

Vienna. Fellner Wratzfeld & Partners (fwp) provided legal advice to BAWAG P.S.K. in the course of the negotiations for state aid. After several months of negotiations and approval by the EU Commission, the agreements were signed recently.

Ogier BVI has had a very busy year. 2009 brought a number key lateral hires to the firm, including Ray Wearmouth, who joined from Harney Westwood & Riegels and Gareth Thomas from Conyers and Codan Trust; the firm won numerous prestigious awards, including “Offshore Law Firm of the Year” at the British Legal Awards and Michael Fay was announced as the BVI's managing partner.

Law Offices of George Z. Georgiou have won the Corporate Intl Magazine Practice Award for the ‘Best Law Firm in Cyprus for Employment Legal Work 2009’. 

According to the press release from the FSC, the establishment of the Focus Group is with a view to “making recommendations for legislative revision that are in concert with recent developments in the field and industry.” The FSC sought to bring together both private and public sector leaders and the 8 member Focus Group includes 3 Queen’s Counsels and the FSC’s Director of Corporate Affairs who is also the Registrar of Trade Marks and Patents.

Pfleiderer AG has reached an agreement with its banks on the conditions of a long-term corporate financing. The financing package amounts to approximately € 800 million and comprises a syndicated loan facility, Schuldschein loans and bilateral loans.

The wind turbine producer REpower Systems AG has concluded an agreement with its Indian major shareholder Suzlon Energy Limited on sales cooperation in the major international markets of USA and Australia.

Sarrau Thomas Couderc is the tax adviser of the Areva group in connection with the transfer of its subsidiary Transmission & Distribution.

Sarrau Thomas Couderc advised the new and only stakeholder of Mecachrome in the fiscal structuring process for France of this tier one integrator.

On January 5, 2010, Nestlé S.A. announced it had agreed to acquire Kraft Foods' frozen pizza business in the US and Canada for USD 3.7 billion in cash. The business includes brands such as DiGiorno, Tombstone, California Pizza Kitchen, Jack’s and Delissio. This frozen pizza business provides a new strategic pillar to Nestlé's frozen food portfolio in the US and Canada

January 2010: Last year (2009) proved to be an excellent year for Albar & Partners in the practice area of Islamic Finance as we continued to receive widespread recognition from the Islamic Finance industry's leading publications.

AstapovLawyers scored significant victories in the International FOSFA Arbitration in two parallel arbitration proceedings on amount over U.S. $ 3 million in the process of protecting the interests of a large Kazakhstan grain trade company against a large Dutch company. The controversy dealt with the application of English substantive law. At issue was the fact of the contract due to lack of signatures and seals of both parties, despite the direct requirements of the contract to acquire the legal force only in the appropriate form.

Starting November 1, 2009 AstapovLawyers was annonced as a prefered law firm for providing professional opinion on current legal developments in Ukraine for Interfax-Ukraine. The project is named "Ukrainian Legislation Review" with daily comments by our lawyers for Interfax news

AstapovLawyers International Law Group is pleased to announce that Ms. Victoria Buzhor joins Kyiv's office International Corporate Department as a new Associate.

On December 15, 2009 Mr. Andrey Astapov, Managing Partner of AstapovLawyers, participated in the conference "International arbitration. The state and arbitration courts: partners or opponents?" organized by Russian National Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce - World Business Organization (ICC Russia) in conjuction with the International Court of Arbitration ICC and Russian Chamber of Commerce in Moscow.

On December 15, 2009 Ukrainian legal magazine Yuridicheskaya practika nominated AstapovLawyers as #9 among Ukrainian domestic law firms 2009.

On December 15, 2009 AstapovLawyers International Law Group in conjuction with IA Interfax Ukraine held a press conference on the topic: "Prospects for judicial reform in Ukraine". Among the briefing participants were Mr. Oleh Malskyy, Partner of AstapovLawyers, Mr. Alexander Volkov, a judge of the Supreme Court of Ukraine, Deputy Head of the Council of Judges of Ukraine, Mr. Volodymyr Bogatyr, Deputy Minister of Justice of Ukraine, as well as representatives from several law firms.